Rodents play spoilsport to Tamenglong farmers
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 20, 2012:
More reports on rodent menace from Tamenglong villagers have come in.
On Monday, villagers from Tousem and Tamei sub divisions said that rats are destroying their paddy in huge quantity and expressed doubt for the normal harvest.
It worth noting that in Tamenglong district's Tousem sub-division, standing crops in 63 villages have been damaged by the rodents.
On August 17, Joint Organisation Forum, which comprises Zeme Naga Council, Manipur, Village Authority Chairmen Council, Tousem Sub-Division, etc., etc, has submitted a memorandum to Tamei constituency MLA Z Kikhonbo Newmai urging him to take up immediate steps to deal with the rodent menace.
The forum convenor GH Newmeh had informed Newmai News Network few days ago that rodents coming in hordes had started spoiling vast areas of paddy fields in 63 villages of Tousem Sub-Division since early July and the continuous destruction of standing crops has left the poor farmers and villagers without a choice but to face a possible famine and starvation in the coming year.
According to Newmeh, the whole mice hit paddy field areas will be completely damaged in the next two or three months and make Tousem an extremely poor area because of an impending famine that will make people die of hunger.
Saying that economy, children's education and daily life will be extensively affected by the rodent menace, Newmeh had sought immediate intervention of the Government as well as the concerned authorities to curb the menace.
He, however, said the people in the area have to manage with the rice saved last season if they face great danger of food scarcity situation.
G.H.Newmeh also informed that over 100 pigs have died of a mysterious disease in the Tousem Sub-Division and the disease continues to spread from village to village.
The unknown disease which kills pigs is reported to have first started attacking the domestic animal about two weeks ago in the village of Nzingning, according to Joint Forum Organisation convenor Newmeh.
A pig dies moments after the virus causing the disease attacks it and some hours later, the smell of the dead pig becomes intolerable, Newmai had said.
He also had called upon the state Government to take initiative for timely prevention of the unknown disease and to conduct a spot inquiry into it.
Newmeh had said that 90 per cent of the whole economy of the sub division depends on cultivation and piggery and if these two sources of income of the villagers are failed due to the rodent menace and disease killing pigs the villagers would have no any other option for survival.
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